Champion Rival/FRLG
Your rival is the final challenge in the Indigo Plateau gauntlet. His team varies based on the starter you chose. In all cases, your reward for defeating him is entry into the Hall of Fame and 6,300 Poke Dollars. If you chose Bulbasaur, his team is as follows: Level 59 Pidgeot (Aerial Ace/'Featherdance'/'Sand-Attack'/'Whirlwind'), Level 57 'Alakazam ('Psychic/'Future Sight'/'Recover'/'Reflect'), Level 59 'Rhydon ('Take Down/'Rock Tomb'/'Earthquake'/'Scary Face'), Level 59 'Exeggutor ('Giga Drain/'Egg Bomb'/'Sleep Powder'/'Light Screen'), Level 61 'Gyarados ('Hydro Pump/'Dragon Rage'/'Bite'/'Thrash'), Level 63 'Charizard ('Fire Blast/'Aerial Ace'/'Slash'/'Fire Spin'). If you chose Charmander, his team is as follows: Level 59 Pidgeot (Aerial Ace/'Featherdance'/'Sand-Attack'/'Whirlwind'), Level 57 'Alakazam ('Psychic/'Future Sight'/'Recover'/'Reflect'), Level 59 'Rhydon ('Take Down/'Rock Tomb'/'Earthquake'/'Scary Face'), Level 59 Arcanine (Extremespeed/'Flamethrower'/'Roar'/'Bite'), Level 61 '''Exeggutor (Giga Drain'/'''Egg Bomb'/'Sleep Powder'/'Light Screen'), Level 63 Blastoise (Hydro Pump/'Rain Dance'/'Skull Bash'/'Bite'). If you chose Squirtle, his team is as follows: Level 59 Pidgeot (Aerial Ace/'Featherdance'/'Sand-Attack'/'Whirlwind'), Level 57 'Alakazam ('Psychic/'Future Sight'/'Recover'/'Reflect'), Level 59 'Rhydon ('Take Down/'Rock Tomb'/'Earthquake'/'Scary Face'), Level 59 'Gyarados ('Hydro Pump/'Dragon Rage'/'Bite'/'Thrash'), Level 61 Arcanine (Extremespeed/'Flamethrower'/'Roar'/'Bite'), Level 63 Venusaur (Solarbeam/'Synthesis'/'Sunny Day'/'Growth'). Tips for Beating Your Rival * Bring lots of coverage and target his weak points: By this point in the game, you are probably already aware that no single Pokemon can reliably sweep through your rival. It's best that you bring a wide variety of Pokemon and move types in with you so you can strike at his weak points without necessarily exposing your own. Also remember the value of putting non-STAB coverage moves on your Pokemon; things like Ice Beam and Thunderbolt on Starmie are valuable in this battle. * Don't let him set up: While setup strategies aren't your rival's primary means of attack, he does carry several moves that decrease your stats, disrupt your strategy, or generally make your life more difficult. These reside primarily on his Pidgeot and Alakazam (present in all battles) and his Exeggutor (absent for Squirtle choosers); the quicker you can take those three off the field, the easier this battle will be. Also note that his Blastoise (for Charmander choosers) and his Venusaur (for Squirtle choosers) carry weather-setting moves and at least one other move to take advantage of the weather. It's important that you bring a means of counteracting that strategy, because boosted Hydro Pumps and one-turn Solarbeams lower your chances of survival. * Be wary of Intimidate and other stat drops: In high-level battles like this, even a one-stage stat drop can make a huge difference in your Pokemon's effectiveness. If your physical attacker gets hit with Intimidate from Gyarados or Arcanine (where applicable) or Pidgeot's Featherdance, or one of your dedicated attackers gets hit with Pidgeot's Sand-Attack right out of the gate, pull out the damage calculator and inform your choice about staying in or switching out. Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. Good Pokemon to Use * Starmie: Starmie is probably the Pokemon that's closest to being able to sweep through this battle. Its secondary Psychic type grants it a (somewhat shaky) resistance to Psychic moves, which is invaluable against Alakazam, and its excellent movepool allows it to strike super effectively against several of your rival's team members. * Bulky Water types: Serviceable as always, bulky Water types can tank their way through many of the significant threats in this battle (your rival's Grass type being the primary exception). Bonus points if they have a wide movepool to better attack their current opponent's weaknesses, like Slowbro. * Powerful sweepers and wallbreakers: Starmie does fall into this category, but it's special enough that it deserved its own mention. Pokemon with strong moves, good attacking stats to back them up, and potentially useful Abilities will go a long way in this battle. Your own Gyarados, for example, might be very handy with Intimidate as well as its sweeping prowess with Dragon Dance and TM support. Arcanine could be a handy mixed attacker in parts of this battle (although its Fire typing isn't all that beneficial here) and also sports Intimidate for extra utility. Lastly, Snorlax also deserves a mention as being able to tank your rival's dangerous special moves with relative ease on raw stats, punch holes in his team with powerful physical attacks, and possibly have additional defensive utility thanks to Thick Fat. Category:Boss Fights Category:Elite Four Category:Kanto Category:FireRed/LeafGreen Category:To be reviewed